


Help, I need somebody

by LazyOne



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Almost Drowning, Hes Fine, How Do I Tag, Kiss Kiss Fall in Love, M/M, Soft Boys, i have no clue what im doing, or how to write on ao3 but damnit im trying, prompt from wattpad, slightly ambiguous ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:21:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25456108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LazyOne/pseuds/LazyOne
Summary: A day at the beach, nothing to go wrong on a day off.
Relationships: Malik Al-Sayf/Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad
Comments: 5
Kudos: 29





	Help, I need somebody

**Author's Note:**

> I miss writing these two so much, I am so happy I got this prompt out of nowhere. I have so many WIPs on my computer so hopefully I get to those someday. I haven't written in a while so if anything is misspelled or sounds weird please let me know so I can fix it, thanks!

The summer heat soaked into the sand under his feet, a not so gentle reminder of his home and the many months his skin would turn an angry red for days on end. Silently Altaïr cursed his European mother’s bloodline followed by cursing his cousin as a handful of water came too close for comfort. “Come join us Altaïr! The water feels great!”  
“Stop annoying him Ezio, it’s his vacation too and he can do what he pleases.” Claudia, he thinks as he steps away to a shadier area, is a blessing. And while this is his vacation, it feels more like a templar torture session with how the only reprieve from the heat being the ocean or overpriced water bottles. They definitely didn’t come prepared for the scorching weather- no umbrella, no water, but thank god we brought a ball to throw around in the ocean! Great thinking Desmond.  
Sitting on the sand is only slightly cooler than the sand directly in the sun’s path but it’s better than standing. Hopefully everyone will get tired enough that they all decide it’s time to leave; not possible with how Ezio and Desmond keep trying to show off for some of the women giggling at them. At least Malik and Kadar are enjoying their time here, they deserve a break after everything that’s happened.  
“C’mon grumpy, let’s get you moving so you’ll stop moping around in the sand.”  
“I’m not moping and I never have brat.”  
“Uh-huh sure-pouting, moping- same thing grandpa.” Kadars face stretched into a smug grin and Altaïr wanted nothing more than to wipe it off his face. Grappling him down to the sand was easy enough, but now that he’s gotten his strength back from being in a coma the impromptu wrestling brawl was almost equal in match. He’s now similar in build to Malik, his arms have buffed up and his abdomen and had become more broad than when they were teens; and while the jabs thrown were weak they still would leave some heavy bruising. In no time, the friendly scuffle turns competitive with both men circling each other, waiting for an opening to pin the other down in the sand and declare themselves the winner.  
Surprisingly, Kadar makes the first move to try and grapple Altaïr but with him moving slow it was easy to evade and knock the other back the few feet the charged from.  
By the time Altaïr had enough with smacking each other in an attempt to push the other down they had amassed a small crowd consisting of strangers throwing concerned looks toward them and their own family looking unimpressed or placing bets. The sand under him became hotter than before, then cooler as splashing sounded from below and beside him. Looking down and finding himself knee deep in the water was enough time for Kadar to knock him off balance and cause him to plummet in the ocean, seemingly, with no shore in sight. Breathing in salt water hurt and his heart couldn’t stop racing.  
Which way is up?  
Where is the air?  
How did he end up here?  
He couldn’t move, why couldn’t he move?  
Why won’t they let him up for air?  
“Shit shit shit shit!”  
“Altaïr?!”  
“Oh fuck!”  
“Is he breathing?”  
“Shit! I didn’t think about the water! I’m sorry Malik! I really didn’t think about it!”  
“Move out of the way and let me deal with him.” So many voices, so much light. It was all too much. His sight began to glow before becoming a mass of darkness and the voices above him became too fuzzy to focus on with the ringing consuming him.  
Coughing and puking up salt quickly became one of the worst feelings Altaïr had ever felt, hearing the loud and panicked voices combined with being blinded by something far too bright to be real had to be listed as a close second. The hands over his eyes and on his forehead provided a reprieve from the light and blazing heat, but sadly not the sand and water escaping his throat or the loud screeching that seems to come from everywhere.  
“Can you hear me?” I can barely hear myself think but yes. “Good, not great but it’s the best we can get right now. We need to move you, is that alright?” No, I was here with people...  
“We’re right here Altaïr.” Oh, cool... My throat hurts.  
“Let’s get him home, we’ll deal with the rest later on when he’s feeling better. We’re going to lift you up and get you home.” That sounds nice…

The next time he woke up had him feeling dizzy, almost like a dream with just a little more headache and sore muscles. Opening his eyes felt like a chore but he needed to in order to figure out why he’s bundled up in warmth. The lights were blessedly off, the blanket surrounding him was familiar, and the nightstand to his left had a glass of water with a bottle of pain medication not too far from it. Sitting up only brought more pain to his chest but getting a drink felt more necessary than being still at the moment.  
Movement at the end of the bed alerted him to the presence of someone he failed to take note of. Malik quickly made his way to the pain meds and dumped out the correct dosage for him before handing him the water along with the pills. Swallowing was difficult, it was like the water was clinging to his throat trying to choke him. Slowly the pills made it down but as he tried to hand the rest of the water back Malik demanded that he slowly drink the rest. The pounding in his head forced him to behave and listen, it was easier and an argument would only make the pain worse.  
“How do you feel?” The words were said so softly, Altaïr almost didn’t hear them. Handing over the empty glass allowed him time to think of the best way to answer. Answering truthfully would only get him sent to the med-bay; lying would only get him hit over the head. Middle ground would be the safest.  
“Feel like I got hit with a few bricks.”  
“So nothing you’re unused to feeling... Be honest Altaïr, how are you actually feeling?”  
“..Feel like sleeping for a few thousand years. Head feels like it’s underwater and my chest feels like a boulder is laying inside it. I don’t even remember what happened or when we got back home.” Altaïr relaxed into the bed again, feeling more at ease in the fluff of pillows and blankets.  
“Somehow, you ended up in the shallows at the beach when Kadar decided to push you down. You ended up inhaling water and almost drowned. You’ll need to see the physician soon to make sure you don’t have any more water in your lungs.”  
“...Do I have to?” He felt pitiful. Barely able to move, speak, or think and now he’d have to deal with a doctor asking too many personal questions. Thankfully the knock from the door prevented any further questions. He looks to Malik before weakly calling out, “..Come in?” He wished he hadn’t spoken at all. What once was a quiet and borderline intimate moment quickly became the worst headache of his life as Kadar enters bawling. Altaïr knows the other man is speaking but with how he’s screaming,crying, and generally making things infinitely worse for Altaïr’s whole body he finds it difficult to understand the words coming from him. His body being crushed doesn’t help either, it feels like the crushing hug is actually making things harder to see…  
Finally Kadar relents and he can breathe again; when he comes back to himself he hears the quiet sniffling from Kadar and the stern admonishing of Malik. Taking a deep breath, he looks to his two longest friends and he feels fond amusement fill his chest instead of the pain he knows should be there.  
“Why would you think barging in here would be beneficial? Kadar, he just woke up not five minutes ago and knocking the air out of him is the opposite of what we’re trying to achieve right now.” The words seem to catch up to the younger brother as the tears fall faster down his face with a few words of apologies stumbling from him.  
“Malik.. It’s fine, just need quiet… head feels like it’s breaking.” Kadar seems to calm from the quiet words he manages to throw out. For a moment he’s allowed peace from the borderline migraine tries to make itself known. A dip in the bed shifts his body and pulls the wrong muscles causing the headache to increase in intensity.  
“Sorry… I- I just need to make sure you’re actually fine, for my own sake of mind… God, I am so sorry Altaïr, I honestly forgot about the water and when I realized what happened it was too late and I just- I just panicked.” A hand gently touches his left arm before his shirt is clutched tightly and Kadar's breathing hitches in his throat. It takes most of his energy to return the touch, it’s the only way he can tell Kadar that he’s forgiven. After all that Altaïr has done, this is the least payback that he deserves for his past mistakes. His breathing slows and his eyes feel heavy, the grip on his arm loosens and the dip next to him slowly eases up. He hears the door close quietly not too long after that.  
He almost drifts to sleep before he feels a hand in his hair gently stroking through. It’s nice and calming, lulling him into a deeper state of almost there sleep, but he can’t yet not with the deep voice talking to him.  
“You gave us all anxiety, you know. Thrashing like you were an injured animal cornered… I thought I wasn’t going to be able to save you, you didn’t move for so long.. I thought I got there too late and you were already gone.” Malik’s sigh is the only response given back. “I’m never letting you out of my sight again. Especially if there’s water… I don’t think I could handle this again. You are not allowed to die on my watch, not while I’m alive.” The lone hand is joined by a second one before a soothing back and forth is started.  
He’s now so close to sleep, it’s so tempting to dive deep into the darkness of dreams; he almost takes the leap but before he can try to jump into the senseless void, the sound of movement keeps him held steady. Warmth touches his forehead, so tender and gentle he almost didn’t register the touch. Did Malik kiss him? Or was it only an accidental touch of one of his hands? He almost opened his eyes to find out, but decided he didn’t want the hands to stop their movement. Slowly he finds himself teetering off the cliff of awareness and falling into sleep knowing that wherever he lands it will be gentle and he will be graced there with a crooked smile coming from the best man he’s ever met.  
“I love you… I hope I can say that to you one day when you’re awake.”


End file.
